The Proof is In: Eat at Night, Get Fat

Time says it, so it must be true, right? Or maybe it’s just another one of those “duh” moments that just had to hit the top news stories of the day; i.e., stating the obvious. Then again, maybe it’s time for a reminder…

Scientists decided to study the effects that the time of day mice were fed on weight gain by feeding one group during the night, and the other during normal daytime hours. Both groups kept a day schedule with the same amount of activity. The group fed at night gained more than twice as much weight on a high fat diet than its control counterpart.

The nighttime feeding schedule, the scientists found, disrupts the circadian rhythm and sets off a chain reaction of effects. The body reacts to the introduction of calories differently, and in the end, has a large impact on its ability to maintain energy levels throughout the day. The hormones that govern hunger and full feelings, ghrelin and leptin, are knocked out of balance with the hunger messages sent to the brain increased and the full messages decreased. The body expects to eat several small meals during the day and tends to store the extra taken in with huge evening meals, resulting in weight gain, increase in blood sugar levels and cardiovascular changes.

Sleep patterns play a part in weight as well. In general, those who get a good 8 hours of sleep each night tend to be thinner and more energetic. Eating late in the day is associated with acid reflux and other sleep-disturbing gastrointestinal problems.

The take-home message: Eat small meals throughout the day, avoid the huge evening meals and snacks and listen to your body. Your stomach might be telling you it’s thirsty, not hungry, so grab a glass of water on the way to the refrigerator.

Of Rats and Humans: Erasing Fear

This morning, the NPR ran with a story that states that rats and humans are so alike that they think they’ve found a cure for fear by studying rats. That’s nothing new, if you remember the dogs drooling at the sound of a bell that became the foundation for behavior modification techniques.

This time, however, scientists have deduced that certain brain cells in rats change with age and with it, the ability to overcome fear associated with past traumatic events.

Fear comes from the part of the brain called the amygdala, which will prompt a fight or flight response before the rest of the brain is even conscious of the fearful stimuli. At about 3 weeks old, baby rats’ brains developed a sheath around the brain cells located in the amygdala, which led the scientists to believe that it was this sheath that made it difficult to erase the fear response. They hope that their findings will lead to the development of drugs that will dissolve that sheath and then allow people with PTSD to forget the traumatic events that plague them.

In essence, dissolving the sheath will erase memories.

Outbreaks Near Me Now on iPhone

HealthMap’s Outbreaks Near Me is now available as an iPhone application that lets you search and contribute disease outbreak information that you may run into yourself. This little app could alert you to targeted outbreaks of H1N1 before officials have a chance to act on it.

Whether you’re tired of hearing about the swine flu, the spread of the potentially fatal disease is on the rise. State agencies have alerted workers to step up disinfection procedures around offices to the point where rubber gloves and bleach wipes are now on the supply list. Schools are sending kids home when they present flu symptoms. And, everyone is urged to stay home if they are sick.

Take a few minutes of time and find out what you need to know to protect yourself and the people around you.